91 POINTS

Wine Spectator

92 POINTS The Tasting Panel

95 POINTSJames Suckling

Chianti Classico

Toscana

ITALY

Santedame Estate

Gretole Estate

Firenze

Greve in ChiantiSan Gimignano

BolgheriMonteriggioni

San Polo in Chianti

Castellina in ChiantiArezzo

Montalcino

Montepulciano

Grosseto

Pisa

Siena

Chianti Classico

Toscana

ITALY

Santedame Estate

Gretole Estate

Firenze

Greve in ChiantiSan Gimignano

BolgheriMonteriggioni

San Polo in Chianti

Castellina in ChiantiArezzo

Montalcino

Montepulciano

Grosseto

Pisa

Siena

RISERVA DUCALE ORO: CHIANTI CL ASSICO GRAN SELE ZIONE DOCG

VINTAGE – 2010

GRAPE VARIET IES : 80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

VINEYARDS:Riserva Ducale Oro is the truest expression of a distinct terroir, 100% sourced from Ruffino’s acclaimed Gretole and Santedame Estates in the renowned Castellina subregion of Chianti Classico. Each property offers its own personality and distinguishing characteristics to the final wine: Gretole fruit provides Oro with power, structure, and robust red fruit character, while Santedame offers the wine’s trademark finesse and elegance. The vineyards are hilly with poor soils of mixed clay and sand, generally calcareous, and rich in galestro rock. Exposition is variable, with predominantly south, southwest, and southeast facing slopes for ideal ripening with wide day-to-night temperature swings.

VIN IF ICATION AND AGING:

Riserva Ducale Oro is produced with meticulously harvested grapes. Harvest began near the end of September and was completed in mid-October. All the grapes for this wine were vinified at the Gretole estate and kept as individual lots to preserve their specificity to the land. The lots underwent fermentation in separate stainless steel tanks for 21–28 days and were then racked and transferred into individual concrete vats for four months. Winemaker Gabriele Tacconi carefully tasted each individual lot and determined which were capable of exceptional quality and therefore good enough to become Riserva Ducale Oro. The wine lots were then blended in March and transferred to the main cellars of Pontassieve for maturation in wood barrels. The wine was aged for about one year in traditional large and neutral oak casks (Slovenian oak of 925–2,985 gallons). After a year, the wine was transferred into small second-use barriques for another 12 months. Neutral oak allowed the blend to fully integrate and develop a more elegant and complex flavor profile without being altered. The wine then spent an additional 3–4 months in bottle to allow it to settle before release.

TASTING NOTES:

C O L O R : Ruby red with garnet hues

A R O M A : The wine expresses a distinctive Tuscan bouquet of violet, cherry, and plum, with aromas of chocolate and spice.

T A S T I N G P R O F I L E : Intense aromas of violet, blackberry, cherry, and ripe plum with intriguing notes of cinnamon and clove. Classic elegance and structure in which the fruit, tannins, and spices form a tightly woven balance, with a lingering finish of chocolate and coffee.

P A I R I N G : Pairs exquisitely with traditional Italian dishes such as a classic bisteca Fiorentina, pasta Bolognese, wild boar ragù, and eggplant Parmesan. It’s also wonderful with dishes such as grilled ribeye and roasted vegetables.

A L C O H O L C O N T E N T : 14.5%

F IRST YE AR OF PRODUCTION – 1947

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